Japanese domestic shipment value of cemented carbide tools totaled 24.3 billion yen in November, which was 0.5% lower than a year earlier level, according to Japan Cemented Carbide Tool Manufacturers’ Association. The shipment decreased by 1.9% from October. The shipment value kept the recent high level at more than 24 billion yen but leveled off and represented the first year-to-year decrease in two years. The demand seemed to be partially impacted by Thai flood when 40% of the shipment value accounts for transporting machine industry, mainly for automobiles.
The shipment value of cutting tools maintained the recent high level at more than 18 billion yen but represented the first year-to-year decrease in seven months. The shipment is mainly for manufacturing of automotive components. The shipment of sintered diamond and CBN (cubic boron nitride) tools also represented 6% decrease, mainly used for high-speed manufacturing and manufacturing of hard-cutting materials. Meanwhile, domestic production of cemented carbide alloy, the main material for cemented carbide tools, maintained high level at around 500 tonnes per month since June 2011 through November. Japanese tooling machine makers’ order receipt value also kept increasing trend by November. These figures suggest Japanese cemented carbide tool shipment may keep the recent high level for a while.